WHY DO PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR SINS?

Text: JOHN 8:21-30

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INTRODUCTION:

1. In the Gospel of John, chapter 8, the Lord Jesus Christ makes a very strong statement, and he says it three times.
2. He says to those who do not believe in Him that they shall die in their sins (8:21,24 – twice).
3. Many people have no idea what this means, but it is quite clear that it means dying without Christ. It means going into the fires of eternal hell. It means being lost forever, suffering in the lake of fire, being punished in eternal damnation.
4. Some would say: "Well, our Lord was probably speaking to the drunkards, and thieves, and murderers, and prostitutes." NO – actually, He was speaking to the religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees (John 8:12,13).
5. Today, I would like for us to look into this passage of Scripture and find out what it means for a person to die in their sins. And I will answer this question: WHY DO PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR SINS?

1. PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR SINS BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF (8:24).

1. The word "believe" is the key word in the Gospel of John (cf. 1:12; 3:16,18,36; 4:39,41,42,50; 5:24; 6:35,47,67-69; 7:37-39; 9:35-38; 10:24-30, etc.).
2. The word "believe" appears 99 times and it is the theme of John’s Gospel (cf. John 20:31).
3. Unbelief is the most horrible, wicked and fatal of all sins. Unbelief is looking at the cross and saying: "I don’t believe that." Unbelief is listening to someone read the Bible and saying: "I don’t believe that." Unbelief is watching someone on their knees praying for their salvation and saying: "I don’t believe that."
4. Unbelief caused Judas Iscariot to betray Christ and then hang himself, and then go straight to hell.
5. Unbelief caused Pharaoh and his horsemen to drown in the Red Sea and then spend eternity in hell.
6. Unbelief had so blinded the minds of our Lord’s enemies that they thought He would commit suicide (cf. John 8:22).
7. Unbelief has sent billions of people to hell, many of whom were religious but not saved.
8. Our Lord said, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins" (8:24). That phrase "I am He" is important (cf. Ex.3:13,14; John 4:25,26; 6:35; 8:28,58; 10:9,11; 11:25; 14:6; ; 15:1,5). Jesus is identifying Himself with Jehovah God (cf. Isa.43:10-12; 44:6-8; Rev.1:17).
9. Many people refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is Jehovah and so they waste their precious time fighting Him rather than trusting Him.
10. And our Lord warned them that some day their opportunities would be gone (John 7:34; 8:21).

2. PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR SINS BECAUSE THEY KEEP PUTTING OFF SALVATION.

1. Our Lord kept warning the unbelievers that some day they would seek Him but it would be too late (John 7:33,34; 8:21).
2. Men think they can come to God whenever they want to, and on their terms – but that is not what the Bible teaches (cf. Pro.1:24-31).
3. It is a terrible sin to trifle with God’s grace. And to wear out His patience and longsuffering (John 8:21).
4. People are hardened to the Gospel because of unbelief. They have been all caught up in worldly pleasures and worldly amusements, not realizing that the world has deceived them (cf. John 8:23; 15:19).
5. Remember who "the prince of this world" is (John 12:31; 14:30; 15:7-11).
6. People who put off salvation harden their hearts till it finally is too late and they are hopelessly doomed to the eternal fires of hell (cf. Pro.29:1).

3. PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR SINS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL THINGS (JOHN 8:27).

1. The Bible says, "They understood not…" (8:27).
2. We need to explain the Gospel carefully so that sinners can understand what it means to be lost and what it means to be saved.
3. Our Lord said in John 8:28, "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He…"
4. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Also, they did not understand what He meant by being "lifted up."
5. "Lifted up" has a dual meaning – lifted up on the cross to die for our sins, and lifted up in exaltation and glorification. Our Lord often combined these two meanings (cf. John 12:23,24; 17:1).
6. People die in their sins because they live in their sins and never repent. People who stay in their sins and reject the Lord Jesus Christ must die in their sins.
7. There is no alternative. People need to understand this because it is the difference between eternity in heaven or eternity in hell.

CONCLUSION:

1. Ron Comfort is an evangelist with a Bible college down in Shelby, North Carolina. A few years ago, the principal of a Christian school told him this story:
2. "Several years ago, a young lady came into my office and told me that she hated our school and she was tired of our telling her what to do. She said she wanted to leave and go to the public school. Her mother was seated beside her, and said she agreed with her daughter. She was tired of the school dictating to her daughter and imposing a lot of rigid rules upon her.
3. "Before the girl left my office, she looked at me and said: ‘Sir, from this day forward, I want you to know and God to know…GOD, LEAVE ME ALONE!’
4. "She left and went to a public school. She began to date a drug pusher and she got on drugs herself. Five years later, after marrying the drug pusher, she has had three abortions and she was taken to the state penitentiary this week for armed robbery and murder. When the sheriff took the report to his secretary to type, the secretary fainted. The secretary was the mother of the young woman now in prison.
5. "This week, when I went to see the young lady behind the prison bars, she said to me: ‘For five years my life has been a life of hell on earth. Do you know when it began? It began five years ago in your office when I told God to leave me alone. Do you know what? He did.’"
6. God never forces anyone to be saved. Our Lord did not force Himself upon the Pharisees. He told them the truth. Some responded, such as Nicodemus. But most rejected Him and died in their sins.
7. The Bible is clear: if a rebellious sinner continues in his unbelief and folly, God will give up on him and he will eventually die in his sins.